Paper Memories
by samlicker113
Summary: River shares a quiet moment with the Doctor after the Ponds eventually leave him. AUish.


**Author's Note: I can't write Doctor Who well. I just can't. But I'm trying. Because that's what people DO!**

River had a bloody fantastic idea. (She always did). If they could bribe the Silence to make a video telling people to forget The Doctor, then everything would go back to normal.

The whole universe can't hate The Doctor if they don't remember him.

Of course, you can't also love someone if you don't remember them.

He knows that River's bloody fantastic plan (that she always has, as if she just pulls them out of that spoilered brain of hers) has worked all too well when Rory approaches him. The Roman's cape sweeps across the battlestrewn landscape, dotting with blood and dust.

"Hello!" he calls, waving his arm. "Are you a local here? Me and my wife need a lift home."

The Doctor feels a seed of fear begin to grow in his mind. No. No, this can't be happening. But it is, and it's all too real.

And then Amy walks in beside Rory, a look of confusion on her face, and that's the point when it becomes realer than ever before.

"Rory, why are you talking to this guy?" Her voice is cracked with fear, fear of this mysterious place. She doesn't remember the millions of times they went here, of the beautiful alien horses that she once road across the landscape.

"Well," Rory's voice fades to an unfamiliar growl. "He's the only man here who isn't dead, and if you didn't notice, we're covered in blood and I'm wearing a fucking Roman costume. We need all the answers we can."

Amy crosses her hands. "Fine." Then she holds out her hand to The Doctor. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Amy and this is my husband, Rory Pond."

"Rory Williams," says Rory.

Amy slings an arm around her husband. "You're my boy, Pond."

Jokingly, Rory says, "No I'm not."

Instinctively (because he's looking for something familiar in this bizarre situation) The Doctor says, "Yes you are." But his tone is far from joking, as much as he tries to find humor in his mouth it just isn't there.

An awkward silence chokes the air (although it's also filled with dust and blood and sadness).

"Anyways," says the Doctor, "I'm The Doctor. Nice to meet you... Ponds." He wants to shake and scream at them to please remember him, but it's a tired game. "This my spaceship, the-"

"TARDIS?" says Amy.

The Doctor nods. "That's her name."

"I'm sorry," she says. "It just happened. I don't even know how I know that."

"It... doesn't matter. Let's get you two home."

They all enter the timeship together and both Ponds are amazed at the hugeness of it. It's just like the first time they came on the TARDIS, like children full of wonder. At least, Amy was. The Doctor always looked forward to this part of the voyage, but now all he could feel was dread. This shouldn't be happening.

Rory starts to examine the walls with wide eyes as the Doctor puts in the coordinates for their house. Amy finds her way over to the console.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "You look like you're going to cry."

No. No. NO. Of course he's not okay.

"Yeah," The Doctor says. "I'm the King of Okay."

Amy raises an eyebrow. She never stopped, that woman. Always digging deeper. In the beginning, The Doctor had loved her for that, but now he just wishes she would shut up.

"So..." she says. "Your girl leave you?"

He doesn't answer. He can't.

She leans a bit closer. "Or was it a guy? If you're into that kinda thing."

A girl and a guy, he wants to say. You and your stupid Pondy husband. But the word can't slip off his tongue.

Luckily, the sound of the TARDIS landing drowns out his thoughts. "That would be your place!" he says, jumping up excitedly, even though the last thing he wants to do is be excited. Curling up and dying would be more appreciated.

The Ponds look at each other and together they all exit the TARDIS. They stand there for a second, just looking at each other, but all of them this time.

Then The Doctor reaches out and pulls Rory into a hug, then Amy. When the humans look at him confused on why this stranger has just hugged them, he mumbles "My species... uh, custom..."

"Thanks for the ride," Rory says with a smile.

"You're welcome."

And then he watches them walk away. Just before he closes the TARDIS door on them for the last time, he yells out,

"Thanks for coming along, Ponds!"

He slams the door shut because he can't bare to see their faces again. It hurts.

He leans against the console, now, before he notices the photo taped to it. It's Rory and Amy and him at a carnival of some sort, waving excitedly at the camera.

It's out of his control, his own hands, as they reach forward and rip the photo in half. And it feels rather good.

It's at this moment that he realizes he is surrounded by reminders of Rory and Amy. And soon, gone are Rory's muse records. Smashed is Amy's picture frame that they never found a photo to fit. Torn up is every sticky note, card, scribble, and postcard. And all of their clothes are soon chucked into a black hole, forced to lye there with the TARDIS manual for eternity.

***

When River sets in the coordinates for "TARDIS" into her Vortex Manipulator, she wasn't sure what to expect. She never does. But the one thing she didn't expect to see was the TARDIS console room torn apart. Paper fluttered past her as if it and air were dancing a sad duet.

The Doctor himself is sitting on the ground, his head leaned back against the console. He's cuddled a bottle of wine close to his body, and he glances back at her for a second with teary eyes.

River breaks the silence. "I thought you didn't like wine."

"Well," The Doctor snaps. "I didn't like losing the Ponds either, but you went and made that happen!" He turns away.

River has no more words to say. She joins him on the floor, gently tugging the wine from his hands and setting it beside her.

"What did you do to the TARDIS, sweetie?" she asks.

"If the Ponds can't remember me..." The Doctor's slurred voice cracks. "I didn't want to be reminded of them ever again."

River pulls him into a hug. "You know," she breaths into his ear. "You still have one Pond left."

It's quiet on the TARDIS. The only sound is the flutter of paper. And somewhere in a small corner of the universe, the King and Queen of Okay sit wrapped in each others arms.


End file.
